


Empty Promise

by Avistella



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, F/M, POV Second Person, Reader is Not Avatar/MU, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 09:51:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12885333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avistella/pseuds/Avistella
Summary: You and Inigo promise to get married once Grima is defeated and peace brought back to the lands.





	Empty Promise

The rain is pouring down furiously upon both Inigo's and your figures as the pair of you retreat to the nearby forest, having left behind the group of Risen that was far too powerful to take down. A trail of blood follows behind you, but you ignore it for now and only focus on trying to get to safety along with your mercenary companion. The two of you manage to find a spot to rest for the time being in the shelter of the trees.

You bite back a hiss as Inigo leans your back against the trunk of one of the trees as gently as possible. His usual bravado falters at your sign of distress, and his eyes fall upon your blood-soaked hands atop your stomach, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. Both of you ended up separated from the others, and neither of you had any staves or vulneraries to use for your wound. You'd have to try to make do, unfortunately. The young man tears off a large piece of his clothes and guides your hands away from their resting spot before pressing the fabric down against your injury. Continuing to apply pressure, his gaze flickers back to your face.

When you meet his eyes, you push yourself through the pain to smile reassuringly, and it draws a small one from your companion's lips as well, albeit shakily. The colour is drained from your face from all the blood you've lost, and your breathing is laboured. It's a struggle to keep your eyelids open, considering how heavy they feel, and though it is tempting to close them, there's a part of you that's afraid they won't ever open again once you do.

"I'm sorry..." you speak slowly, reaching an arm out towards the mercenary's shoulder, your fingers barely brushing against his own injury he sustained while protecting you from a sneak attack from the monsters. "Because of me... you got hurt..."

Inigo shakes his head and tries to answer in a light-hearted tone, "What, this? It's just a scratch. You should be worrying more about yourself."

You breathe out a soft sigh and offer a short laugh before wincing in pain. The mercenary tenses up at your reaction, and a frown etches itself across his features, his brows closely knit together. "Perhaps you're right..." you admit, feeling your body grow weak. All you want to do right now is fall asleep and rest, but there are still so many things you want to say to the young man by your side.

Silence hangs heavily between you two, and Inigo keeps his attention locked to the distance in case enemies approach. In the meantime, you can feel your life slipping away with each passing second, and it terrifies you. Chewing on your bottom lip, you decide that there's nothing else left to lose now that you're near Death's door. You'd rather not die with lingering regrets.

"Inigo?"

The mercenary makes a humming sound to acknowledge he heard you, his gaze still looking over the horizon through the pouring rain for any sign of trouble or possible aid. Allowing your eyelids to fall shut for a few seconds, you take a deep breath.

"Considering how you chase so many women around...have you ever thought about...settling down and getting married?"

Instantaneously, Inigo's head snaps towards you, his eyes blown wide with confusion and embarrassment at this sudden topic of a conversation. He opens and closes his mouth to respond, but no noise comes out as he's uncertain of what to say, especially considering the situation. He stutters with incomprehensible letters, and a blush starts to bloom on his cheeks. Since he's unable to form a single word, you decide to continue.

"Y'know, I've always dreamed of getting married one day... Of falling in love and raising a family... I wonder...if it's still possible for me..."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, a part of him knowing why you've brought up the subject and are talking like this, Inigo nods his head. "Of course it's possible."

"At a time like this? Where we don't know if each breath will be our last? Which friends we'll lose and say farewell to at the end of the day?"

"There's still always after the fighting's all done and over with," the aspiring dancer insists, unknowingly shifting over so that he was closer to you. Keeping one hand on your stomach to maintain pressure, the other hand moves up to stroke your cheek with utmost tender care, smearing your face with your own blood, but it didn't matter. There was no longer any need to worry about appearances at this point, and the both of you knew that.

"...I wanted to marry you," you confess in a quiet whisper, but you know Inigo heard you if the sharp inhale of his breath was any indication. Your eyes sting with the threat of tears as you repeat it once more like a desperate plead, your voice trembling the most it ever has. "I wanted to marry you when everything was over..."

You choke on a sob before lurching into a coughing fit, the pain almost too much to bear at this point, and you don't know the reason for your tears anymore. Was it because of the horrible sensations that coursed through your wounded body? Was it because of the prospect of death? Was it because of the idea that you wouldn't be able to live one of your dreams?

Inigo bites down hard on his lower lip, almost drawing blood, before cooing, "Shh, hey, it's okay... We can still get married. We _will_ get married once we defeat Grima, I promise."

"Inigo..."

Not wanting his throat to clamp up now at this important moment, the mercenary continues and ignores the ache in his chest like it's about to burst. "I love you," he confesses with a tear-stained face. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want— _oh gods_ —" the young man can't bring himself to say the words any further, each of them sending a painful stab to his nearly broken heart.

"I want to...live in a quaint little house...with you..." you say with extreme difficulty, finding your consciousness fading little by little. "...And with our children... Heh, y'know... I've always...wanted a daughter."

"Th-Then it's settled. Once we finish off Grima, we'll hold our wedding. It'll be great and exactly what we need after all these years of hardship. All of our friends will be there," Inigo replies with a wavering and broken voice, almost growing desperate.

Your eyelids can barely stay open, but the imagery of a grand wedding with Inigo and all your friends makes you smile through how much pain your body is currently in. "Yeah...?"

"Yeah!" Inigo nods with pure determination before leaning forward to rest his forehead with yours. He can feel your shallow breaths brush along your face, and _gods, no. It's too soon. It's still too soon._ "We'll probably have to keep a watch on Owain since he can get pretty enthusiastic. And we'll have to make sure there's enough room for Minerva since I'm sure Gerome would bring her along. Maybe we can have Lucina and Severa as bridesmaids; I'm sure the two would love the idea!"

"That...sounds nice..."

"Nah can be the ringbearer, Brady could play the violin for us, and I feel like Yarne might have an eye for helping with the decorations. What do you think?"

.........

Still holding onto a piece of hope— _denial_ —deep in his heart, Inigo calls your name like a plead, choking and stuttering on the first letter.

.........

"..."

You sit there like an unmoving doll, eyelashes brushing along the skin of your cheeks. Inigo notes the hint of a smile on your lips, and although he's relieved that you were able to part from this world with a happy thought, he can't stop the cries and wails that flow out. He screams to the heavens about the cruelty to ease his shattered heart, but it's no use.

The mercenary cradles you in his arms, rocking back and forth as he holds you close and tight against his chest. Maybe if he puts your ear near his beating heart, it can make yours beat once more. His ears are ringing, and _everything hurts_ as he continues crying and screaming to the dark and cloudy sky, drowning out the pounding rain. Amidst his grief, Inigo doesn't register the sound of someone calling his name from afar. He isn't aware of his friends having finally regrouped with him— _too late_ —until they place a hand on his shoulders.

" _I'm so sorry._ "

**Author's Note:**

> [My Tumblr](http://avistella.tumblr.com/) if interested


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